In addition, Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have been searching White House e-mails and records to determine if Obama or his senior advisers pressured the Energy Department to provide the loan. The White House denies it did.

Solyndra filed for bankruptcy protection on Sept. 6 and fired about 1,100 workers without notice. The company in January completed construction on a $733 million factory in Fremont, California, financed in part with a $535 million loan backed by the U.S. Department of Energy. When construction started, the company said it had a $2 billion backlog in orders for its cylindrical solar modules for commercial rooftops.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation raided Solyndra's offices on Sept. 8. The agency is examining possible accounting fraud and the accuracy of financial representations the company made to the government, said an FBI official, who requested anonymity because the investigation is continuing.

Company Statement

"The company is not aware of any wrongdoing by Solyndra officers, directors or employees" related to the Energy Department loan guarantees or other actions and "is cooperating fully" with the U.S. Attorney in San Francisco, according to a Sept. 20 statement from Solyndra.

The collapse is an embarrassment for Obama, who visited Solyndra in May 2010 to highlight his green energy initiatives. The company has connections to George Kaiser, an Obama campaign fundraiser. The George Kaiser Family Foundation, a charitable organization based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, holds about 37 percent of the company, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Kaiser is the major benefactor of the foundation.

Of the 28 projects that were awarded Energy Department loan guarantees, five went to companies whose executives, employees and investors made significant donations to Obama and Democratic campaign committees, according to a Bloomberg search of records compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. None of those companies appear to be at risk of default as Solyndra was, according to analysts.

Colorado Fundraiser

Abound Solar Inc., a solar panel manufacturer that received a $400 million loan guarantee to build a new plant in Indiana, counts Colorado medical device company heiress Pat Stryker among its major investors. Stryker, a Democratic fundraiser, has given $459,000 to Democratic candidates and committees since 2007, including $9,600 to Obama's campaigns, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. She also donated to Obama's rivals for the Democratic nomination in 2008, Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.

General Electric Co. and Google Inc. are among the major investors in Caithness Energy's 32,000-acre wind power project in central Oregon that received a $13 billion guarantee. GE Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt is an adviser to Obama on jobs and competitiveness and Google Chairman Eric Schmidt is an adviser on science and technology.

Bipartisan Donor

Employees of Sempra Energy, California's third-largest utility, gave $24,200 to Obama's campaigns, according to campaign disclosure reports. Company officials also donated to both Democratic and Republican committees. The company received a guarantee for a $398 million loan to build a 150-megawatt solar project in Arizona which will generate electricity for PG&E Corp., California's largest utility.